Resumption of Delhi Metro: CM urges people to be vigilant and show no negligence in following COVID-19 protocol

Various steps including strict adherence to use of face covers and sanitisers, social distancing, travel with smart cards only, thermal screening has been put in place by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, DMRC to ensure safe commuting amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The service will be resumed in three stages from September 7 to September 12. Trains will operate from 7 am to 11 am and 4 pm to 8 pm as batches of four hours.

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal on Monday expressed happiness over the restart of Metro train services in the city.He stated that saying there should be no negligence in following precautions against COVID-19.

"I am happy Metro (services) starts today. Metro has made good arrangements. We should not show negligence in following the precautions," Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi.

The Delhi Metro resumed services on Monday morning after being closed for over five months due to novel coronavirus pandemic. The first line to be opened was the Yellow Line connecting Samaypur Badli and HUDA city centre in Gurgaon. Various steps including strict adherence to use of face covers and sanitisers, social distancing, travel with smart cards only, thermal screening have been put in place by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to ensure safe commuting amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read:Delhi Metro set to resume service after five months

The Home Ministry recently issued guidelines permitting metro services in the country to resume operations in a graded manner, following which the DMRC said it would be done in three stages from September 7 to September 12. Under stage one, Yellow Line or Line two and Rapid Metro were made operational with restricted service hours, a DMRC official said. Trains will operate in batches of four hours each from 7 to 11 am and 4 to 8 pm in the first stage, the official added.

Metro services in the national capital region were halted on March 22 due to the pandemic. The DMRC has appealed to people to use the rapid transport only if urgently needed.

PTI